2012 Signing Day features another strong class for Texas Football

Published 02/01 2012 10:47PM

Updated 02/01 2012 10:49PM

As The University of Texas enters the 2012 season, it looks to build on a 2011 season that culminated with a win over Cal in the Bridgepoint Education Holiday Bowl. With that, the Longhorns welcome a strong class of 28 newcomers on National Signing Day.

Of the 28, 10 were selected to participate in the Under Armour All-America Game, five in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl, four in the International Bowl, and two Semper Fidelis All-American Bowl. Twelve of the players are listed among ESPNU's Top 150 national prospects, and 23 are currently listed among either All-America or all-state teams. The class also features several prospects that were honor roll students and most of the 2012 signees have been very involved in community service efforts.

The success Brown and his staff have had in assembling and developing a series of highly-regarded recruiting classes goes hand-in-hand with the success of the Texas Football program in the last 14 years.

Under Brown, Texas has won eight of its last 10 bowls and has a 9-4 record overall, including a UT record streak of 12 consecutive bowl appearances. In the 14 years prior to Brown's arrival, Texas went to seven bowls and was 2-5. The nine bowl wins is the most in Texas history, passing Darrell Royal's eight. In addition, Texas streak includes a BCS National Championship, another BCS National Championship Game appearance and three BCS Bowl wins.

Brown's 227 career victories rank 13th on the NCAA all-time list, and he is one of just two active coaches to have reached the 200-victory plateau. He is also one of only two coaches nationally to direct his teams to 19 bowls in the last 20 seasons and 21 winning seasons in the last 22 years, along with being one of only five active coaches at FBS schools to have won 100 games at their current school. He carries a 141-39 mark (.783) into his 15th season at Texas. The 141 wins is the third-most in the nation in the last 14 years.

Those streaks are a reflection of the continuing success Brown has brought to a program that managed at least 10 wins just twice in the 14 years prior to his arrival in 1998, but has done so nine times in his 14 seasons, including a streak of nine consecutive that is tied for the second-longest in NCAA history. Brown has also led the Longhorns six seasons of at least 11 wins.

Since Brown came to Austin, the Horns have finished the year ranked in the Top 15 in 10 of the last 12 years, which includes a string of 10 straight. They also have seven Top 10 finishes and five Top Five rankings. Prior to Brown's arrival in 1998, the last time Texas had finished the year in the Top 10 was 1983. In addition, Texas leads the nation in all time appearances in the BCS rankings with 93, which is eight more than Florida and Virginia Tech.

Brown's Longhorns squads have featured a Heisman Trophy winner, two runners-up and a third-place finisher, three Maxwell Award winners, three WCFF Player of the Year Award winners, two Doak Walker Award winners, two Thorpe Award winners, two Nagurski Trophy winners, a Butkus Award winner, a Lombardi Award winner, two Manning Award winners, a Hendricks Award winner, two Draddy/Campbell Trophy winners, 51 All-Americans, 64 first-team All-Big 12 selections, five Big 12 Offensive Players of the Year, five Big 12 Defensive Players of the Year and 10 Big 12 Freshman of the Year honorees. He himself has twice been named national coach of the year in the last seven seasons.

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